Maki Plascencia, Sophomore:
Maki Plascencia is a three-sport athlete who is currently a sophomore. These past two years, Maki has been playing a sport every season. She is a Flag Football and Basketball player, as well as the past two years a Track and Field star. Maki advised that challenging her body every single day has a lot of benefits towards the success she has experienced in athletics. “Playing three sports has helped me stay in shape, and I’ve learned how to handle criticism.” This Winter season in Girls Basketball, Maki led her team in points with 17 per game, made All CIF-Girls, and helped clear a way to the program’s first CIF appearance since the 1992-93 season. Her contributions to the Girls Basketball program earned her the team’s Most Valuable player award, as Plascencia played a major role in the playoff victories earned by the team this season, which was a significant achievement for the Girls basketball program. Maki states that in the future she wishes to look back on her high school years and smile. “I want to be able to look back at my high school years and be happy because I don’t want to play in college,” said Plascencia. “I just want to have fun.”
Aiden Bernal, Senior:
Aiden Bernal, a senior, has had an incredible athletic run throughout his high school career as a part of the Raider soccer program. Bernal kept busy his senior year- joining Track and Field Distance team, and most recently this year, Water Polo. Throughout the Fall season, Bernal improved significantly in a new sport, becoming one of coach Atwater’s reliable seniors in the pool. The commitment to Water Polo was a noticeable one across campus for those who know Aiden, as it took time away from his offseason Soccer training. Bernal admits although it can be challenging at times to commit to practices and training that being an athlete overall is rewarding. “Conditioning is not easy but it gets better with consistency,” Bernal said. Bernal has been a crucial member of the Channel Islands Boy’s Soccer team, scoring pivotal goals and providing assists for the Raiders consistently throughout the season on the Varsity team. Last year, he played a key role on the Raiders Division 6 CIF championship team, and walks away from CI a champion. The commitment he showed to athletics this year with taking on two new sports in his senior year made him stand out amongst the crowd.
Rajai Moody, Senior:
During his four years at Channel Islands, Rajai Moody has become more than an athlete: he has become an icon to the school. Moody is welcoming to all on and off the court, as he is viewed by many as a leader on campus. Entering his senior year, Moody played Football for the first time under coach Valoaga. During the Fall season, he led all receivers with 35 receptions, over 500 yards receiving and 8 touchdowns. His efforts helped the Raiders clinch a CIF playoff berth, and was also honored with being named to the Citrus Coast First Team as well as the Ventura County Star’s All-County Offense First Team. Basketball season saw Moody capture the league scoring title, averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. A three-year Varsity player, Moody won Citrus Coast League MVP last season and this year repeated as the Raiders team MVP in a year which saw him eclipse the 1,000 points career mark. Moody plans to enroll at Ventura College to continue his basketball journey after establishing his place among past Raider icons.
